Longtime Alabama Softball Assistant Retires
There will be a noticeable difference at Rhoads Stadium this spring. After 25 years with the program, Alabama softball assistant Alyson Habetz announced her retirement Friday afternoon.
“It is with a heavy heart overflowing with gratitude that I am retiring from the University of Alabama to help care for my mom,” Habetz said in a press release. "Twenty-five years ago, Patrick Murphy asked me to help him start a softball program in Tuscaloosa. Accepting his invitation led me to discover a career that has truly filled my life beyond measure.
"There are no words I can say to appropriately thank Coach Murphy for such a gift. I have had the privilege of coaching beside a true legend in our sport. He has created an atmosphere of growth and a culture of excellence with family and gratitude as the centerpiece. What I admire most is Murph’s ability to win championships at the highest level while constantly emphasizing the development of the person over the athlete. Sharing this journey with Coach Murphy has truly been a blessing I will treasure, and I’m extremely honored to call him a mentor and a friend."
Murphy has been with Alabama since the inception of the program, but Habetz has been on staff since Murphy took over as head coach in 1998. She has helped the Crimson Tide win six SEC regular season titles, five SEC Tournament titles along with 14 Women’s College World Series appearances and the 2012 national title.
"I can’t thank Aly enough for her loyalty and servant heart for the past 25 years," Murphy said in a press release. "It is almost unheard of these days for a coach to stay at one school for so many years. Her legacy at Alabama will be passed down through our current and former players onto the next generation. Anyone who watched us saw her passion and fire on the field and it was always represented in the way we played."
She served as Alabama's first-base coach during games and mainly worked with the outfielders including all-Americans like Kelly Kretschman, Britainy Rogers and Haylie McCleney. Habetz was inducted into the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Hall of Fame in 2003, the Louisiana High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and the West Alabama Softball Hall of Fame in 2019.
"For 25 years, Coach Habetz has played a significant role in Alabama softball,” said Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. “We are so grateful for her contributions not only to the program, but also to the lives of the countless people she’s impacted. She is the ultimate team player and one of the best all-around people you’ll meet. We wish Coach Habetz all the best in her well-deserved retirement.”
Habetz has been a consistent fixture in Murphy's program while other assistants have cycled in and out. This offseason marked the first time the program was allowed to hire a third paid assistant, and Murphy promoted Adam Arbour to that role alongside pitching coach Lance McMahon to round out the staff.
Alabama will now have to find another assistant to replace Habetz.
See also:
Alabama Softball Shuffles Staff, Names Adam Arbour as Assistant Coach
